Hello friends!! Mary here- I am one of Natalie’s best friends! Natalie and I met in law school at Marquette University in Milwaukee. We paired up for our Appellate Writing and Advocacy class, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Natalie and I joke that we are best friends, so we forced our husbands to be best friends. (In reality, we all just get along really well and have a ton in common, so it’s always a blast when we’re all together!) Natalie and I were engaged at the same time, planned our weddings together (10-page wedding to-do lists, anyone?), and were in each other’s weddings. We make point to get together as often as we can, meeting halfway or visiting each other’s towns (just 1 state away). When my husband and I found out we were having our son, Aunt Natalie and Uncle Andrew were some of our biggest cheerleaders, and they are so excited to make memories with our family and their future child! Natalie and I set aside time every single weekend to craft over Zoom while we’re apart, catching up on each other’s lives and families. It’s such a great way to stay connected and involved in each other’s lives.

Natalie and Andrew are some of the most caring and conscientious people I know. When I think of them with their future child.....I picture a safe, calm, supportive, loving environment full of adventure and every possible opportunity they would ever want or dream about! The way they care about each other selflessly demonstrates the future of their child-they will put all of their child’s wants and needs ahead of their own. They are organized and prepared, sometimes over-analyzing the situation, but always going with the flow and willing to be spontaneous as the day unfolds. They are avid travelers, and we can’t wait to vacation with them (and their future child)!

They love games and good food, cooking together, reading, watching movies, learning, gardening, home projects, and creativity. Andrew and Natalie will surely have awesome activities and excursions planned for their kids, whether it’s smoothies and a sprinkler in the backyard on a hot day, or a trip to the zoo in the cities....whether it’s a vacation to Washington DC and visiting every museum before the plane ride home, or abeach trip to Hilton Head, their child’s life will be full of joy and love. I can picture them cheering on a child at their soccer games or hosting a party for their 8th grade graduation or excitedly refreshing the page to see if they got into their dream school for college.... no matter what dreams your growing baby has, I promise that these two are going to do everything in their power to make those dreams come true. As some of Andrew and Natalie’s best friends, I promise that my husband and I will always love, support, and be there for this precious child, too. We know he or she is out there, and we can’t wait to meet them!